Friday, February 17, 2012

As more Williamson County schools begin to serve breakfast to students, the county’s Republican Party chairman, Kevin Kookogey, says it is not the role of the government to feed people.

School officials announced in January the goal to offer breakfast at all schools as a part of the National School Breakfast program, which reimburses the district through the U.S. Department of Agriculture for each meal served.

Whether students qualify for free and reduced prices for the meal or they pay full price, the district essentially receives money back from the government.

Kookogey took aim at schools providing students with breakfast via a letter posted on the county Republican Party website.

“I am sure you have heard about this happening in other areas, but ladies and gentlemen, Williamson County, one of the wealthiest counties in the nation by any measure, is now operating under a perverse incentive to increase the number of students taking government hand-outs,” Kookogey wrote. “Of course, those handouts are courtesy of you and me, the federal taxpayers.”

The problem with free breakfasts for kids, of course, is that it disincentivizes them. If we are giving them a healthy breakfast, what will motivate them to get janitorial jobs? Some little girl is walking away from that job selling artificial flowers right now, because she doesn't need to pay for an Egg MacMuffin. If poor children in one of the wealthiest counties in the nation can't be forced to work for the 1%, then we have achieved nothing!